Chicken Bacon Ranch Panini
This Bacon Ranch Chicken Panini is fast, fresh, and ready in no time. Loaded with tender chunks of chicken, crisp bacon, fresh spinach, Havarti cheese, and a garlic ranch dressing, this sandwich is packed with flavor and makes the perfect, easy meal!
And just like that, it’s January! I feel like the last few months have been pushed through like the fast forward feature on TV and DVDs…everything is going 3 times the speed and not slowing down!
And you know what? Life isn’t going to get any slower, but I know you know that. It’s something that I have to remind myself of every day…and to try to live more “in the moment.” That can be so hard when it’s natural to keep planning for things to come. But, it’s one of my goals (not resolution!) for the new year. To appreciate what I have, right here, right now.
Woohoo…who’s excited? It’s the first Thursday of the year, which means that I’ve got an easy and oh-so delicious recipe that take just 30 minutes (or in this case, about 10 minutes) to make. Hopefully that’ll make your day just a little bit better!
And, it’s a panini. Because, let’s face it, paninis are the rock star of sandwiches in my book! Ok, that and grilled cheese sandwiches. But, you get the point.
This chicken panini is fast, fresh, and ready in no time. Loaded with tender chunks of chicken, crisp bacon, fresh spinach, Havarti cheese, and a garlic ranch dressing, this sandwich is packed with flavor and makes the perfect, easy meal!
And we could all use a few more easy meals, am I right? Sandwiches are one of those dishes that I never get tired of. I could eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With endless possibilities, such as different types of breads, meats, and cheeses, what’s not to love?
This chicken bacon ranch sandwich is the best of both worlds. It’s not only fast, but it’s also so simple to make and very easy to customize depending on your tastes.
Bacon Ranch Chicken Panini Ingredients
To make this chicken bacon panini sandwich, you’ll need the following:
- Sliced bread
- Garlic ranch dressing
- Baby spinach leaves
- Cooked chicken
- Havarti cheese
- Cooked bacon
- Sliced tomato
- Unsalted butter
How to Make a Chicken Panini
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Spread a little ranch dressing onto each slice of bread.
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Add spinach leaves, chicken, cheese, bacon, and tomato to one slice of bread.
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Place second slice of bread on top and spread softened butter over it.
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Place sandwich, buttered side down, onto panini press. Spread more butter on top.
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Press panini maker together and grill until the bread is golden on the outside and melted on the inside.
What’s the Best Bread for a Panini?
Choose a thicker bread for the panini, such as sourdough or Texas toast. This will help ensure that the sandwich does not fall apart when in the panini press.
Do I Have to Use a Panini Press?
Definitely not! You can also make this chicken bacon ranch sandwich in a skillet.
Tips for Making the Best Panini Sandwich
- I used sliced, fresh chicken that I found in the lunch meat aisle of my grocery store. You just pop it out of the container, and it’s ready to go! But, if you prefer to cook your chicken and then slice it, or use a rotisserie style, go for it.
- I used a garlic ranch dressing that I found at my grocery store, but if you can’t find that, any type of garlic dressing will do. And the cheese.
- Go easy on the dressing. If you put too much on, it will make the bread soft, which then makes it messy and may fall apart.
- This panini is so easy to customize depending on your tastes! Feel free to swap out the chicken for turkey, leave out the spinach, use mayonnaise instead of garlic dressing, etc.
So when your sandwich cravings strike, grab those ingredients and whip up this simple Bacon Ranch Chicken Panini today!
Looking for more easy sandwich recipes? I’ve got you covered!
- Turkey Panini with Bacon & Guacamole
- Turkey, Apple, & Brie Panini
- Grilled Ham and Swiss Sandwich
- Italian Chicken Sandwich
- Tomato, Avocado, & Mozzarella Grilled Cheese
Chicken Bacon Ranch Panini
Ingredients
- 2 slices thick bread, (such as sourdough or Texas toast)
- 2 tablespoons garlic ranch dressing, , divided (if you can't find this particular kind, regular ranch dressing will do)
- ½ cup baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup chopped or sliced fresh chicken, (I like to use the already shredded rotisserie chicken that you can find near the deli section of your grocery store)
- 2 slices Havarti cheese
- 4 slices bacon, , cooked
- 2 slices tomato
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, , softened
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat a skillet or panini press to medium heat.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of ranch dressing onto each slice of bread. Add spinach leaves, chicken, cheese, bacon, and tomato to one slice of bread. Place second slice of bread on top and spread softened butter over it.
- Place sandwich, buttered side down, onto panini press or skillet. Spread remaining tablespoon of butter on top.
- Press panini maker together and grill for 3-4 minutes, or until bread is golden on the outside and melted on the inside. If using a skillet, take another heavy-bottomed skillet and press on top to brown the bread. Then flip over and brown the other side. Remove from press or skillet and enjoy!
I love easy meals like this, sounds good Gayle!
Thanks, Manali! So do I! 🙂
Now that is one loaded sandwich!! I for real want this for breakfast now and I don’t even care that it’s not even 7am yet!! LOVE the double-whammy of chicken and bacon!
Thanks, Sarah! Chicken and bacon go so well together!
Happy New Year, Gayle! Time does go by so fast. I’m going to try and be more “in the moment” this year and present. I feel like I’m always looking at my phone these days and ignoring the things around me. Which is a terrible habit. Ugh. This sandwich is delicious! And I want it right now for breakfast!
It’s so hard to be more present! I’m the same way with my phone too, something I need to work on. Thanks for the sandwich love, Liz!
Haaaaaaappy New Year! 😉 Okay, so I have been to your site before and already said that, but I figure I can say Happy New Year for at least the rest of the week on repeat. lol Anyways, I am with ya on the resolutions thing. I don’t make any either. I’m healthy throughout the year, so dieting is out, and if I want to make a life change, I certainly don’t wait until ONE day of the year to make those goals for myself. But I am loving your goal – to “appreciate what I have, right here, right now”. I’m stealing that for my #NewYearNewYou goal! 😉 Thank you. Aaanyways, this Panini! Nom Nom Nom NOOOOMMM! Love the chicken bacon ranch combo! Put that on a toasty, pressed sando and I’m in heaven! Pinned of course! Cheers! <3
Haha Happy New Year definitely works for the rest of the week! 🙂 Goals sound much better, don’t they? Thanks for the panini love, friend! It’s a new favorite of mine!
That’s a fantastic goal and one we should all do! Time flies by so fast and we often miss things. My mother in law often says that the older we get, the faster time flies. So true. I’ve also heard, that if you do try to be in the moment and do things that time seems to slow, so that’s a good thing 🙂 I do try and set resolutions or goals. Nothing too outrageous, but attainable. Last year one of them was to read more and that seemed to work and it’s to increase it even more this year. So, let’s talk panini!! I love a good sandwich any time of day, any day of the week and this one sounds delicious! So quick and perfect when I don’t feel like spending all day in the kitchen. And how can you beat chicken and bacon together? Yum! Pinned, of course! Hope you have a fantastic weekend!!
Yes, that is so true…time sure flies by. I’m trying my hardest to enjoy everything! And yay for reading more…I need to do that too, as I love to read. Thanks for the panini love, Dawn! Chicken and bacon are the best together!
Gayle this looks INCREDIBLE! I am all about a hot sandwich — the perfect lunch or “I-don’t-know-what-to-make” supper!
Thank you, Ashley!
I need this in my life RIGHT NOW! Oh my, this just looks and sounds too amazing. It shouldn’t be that easy!
Thanks, Annie! Paninis are the way to go, especially when bacon is involved, and ranch, too! 🙂
That’s been my goal the last few years! And I finally feel like I”m making progress with it and appreciating the present! Still on my goal list though for this year 🙂 haha Gotta keep with it! And this panini! I always forget to make them but man is this making me hungry!
I really hope I can keep the present in mind! Glad you’re making progress with that, Ashley! And thanks for the panini love!
Life is definitely NOT slowing down, and I’m trying desperately to live in the moment too. One of my goals is to make more panini’s — my mother in law made us some this past weekend and they definitely are the rock stars of sandwiches! These look so amazing, Gayle, and my family would love these. Your photos turned out so well too!
Aren’t paninis the best? I often forget about them, but I need to make them more! Thanks so much for the sweet comment, Marcie!
Happy New Year, Gayle! This panini looks amazing! There’s so many great flavours going on in this sandwich. An easy and flavourful recipe like this one is definitely on my list of foods to make!
Thank you, Jess! Happy New Year to you, too!
Life has been moving so quickly! I can’t believe it’s 2017 and that Christmas was almost 2 weeks ago. This panini looks amazing! Chicken, bacon, and ranch are three of my favorite flavors!
Thanks for the kind words, Michelle! Here’s to hoping this year slows down just a little! 🙂
Time does go by so fast. That’s my goal for this year too. I’m going to try to be more present and just live in the moment. I finally made time to see a very dear friend who I haven’t seen in over a year and it was so nice. This yummy sandwich would have been the perfect meal!
That’s great, Kelly! I need to do that with a few of my friends, too. Life just gets in the way too much! 🙂 And thanks for the panini love!
Just 10 minutes! I love it! And my family of hungry boys loves paninis, chicken, bacon, and ranch. SOLD!
Thanks, Blair!
I wish I could just pluck that sandwich right off the screen! I love its presentation! My family will love this! Pinned!
Thanks for the panini love and pin, Annie!
I agree everything (life) is going so fast! Love 30-minute Thursdays! This panini looks delicious ! Need to pull out the panini press and make it asap! (my prev comment did not go through )
Thanks for the sweet comment, Mira! Paninis are one of my favorite easy meals!
“Live in the moment” <– SO much YES to all of this! Sometimes I get into a real rut with planning out EVERYTHING, then I realize that my mind is so far in the future that I kinda miss out on the present. Thanks for gettin' on that soapbox–we all needed it, G! Meanwhile, this panini is grilled to perfection. I can't even tell you how perfect and amazing it looks! I've got to earmark this recipe for my mom, she'd absolutely love it! Wishing you plenty more in-the-moment living and less forward planning this year! Happy weekend my friend. xoxo
Yes! I plan out everything too, and it’s such a time suck and makes you not appreciate the “right here, right now.” Thanks for the panini love and sweet comment, friend!
I need to work on slowing down and living in the moment too! Especially with a little one, I feel like he is going to be big before I know it! I love crispy panini sandwiches and this one looks amazing!
Thanks, Izzy!
CHICKEN IS HAUNTING ME. I have legit see chicken all over the internet this morning. This is a clear indication that… I MUST EAT ALL THE CHICKEN today!
Chicken is the best, especially in panini form!